Wye & Usk Federation
Unlike the forecast of rain next week (but never this), there is one certainty and that is the opening of the coarse fishing season on June 16th. Most of the Booking Office beats have already been taken for the opening weekend but there are still plenty of spaces available during the first full week of the season. Coarse anglers should be raring to go after their 3 month lay-off so anyone wanting an early try for the Wye chub, dace or barbel should get in touch as soon as possible – 01982 551 520

Two new Wye beats will be shortly joining the Booking Office. The Wyebank/Lower Lydbrook on Wye in between Symonds Yat and Monmouth will offer salmon and some top quality coarse fishing. The Llanfechan Fishery on the river Irfon is a wonderfully secluded place to fly fish for trout and grayling. Full details of both will be the website next week.

Any trout anglers thinking of venturing out this weekend should note that beats 37 & 38 of the Roving Voucher scheme (Court of Noke and Mowley Wood on the Arrow) will be closed for a private event. Otherwise, trout fishing has continued to be excellent on both main rivers and tributary streams. With summer now upon us, the best times to fish will be early morning and late afternoon/evening. Although water temperatures are rising, they should, however, still be cool enough for the fish to remain reasonably active during the day, especially in overcast conditions.

Richard White reports a Wye trout of 4 ½ lbs, just a pound bigger than the one Louis Macdonald-Ames caught but a least two pounds smaller than the one Louis lost at Gromain last week. Salmon have been taken on the stretch between Ross and Hereford, but Wyesham was the place to be. They had reached 11 for the week when this report was complied. Not to be outdone, trout of just under 3lbs have also been caught on the Usk in the last week.